HC Deb 21 December 1932 vol 273 cc1070-2
43. Sir PERCY HURD

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is in a position to make a further statement in regard to the setting up of a reorganisation commission for fat stock in England and Wales?

Major ELLIOT

I have to-day constituted the Agricultural Marketing Re-organisation Commission for Fat Stock. The duty of the commission will be to prepare, in accordance with the provisions of the Agricultural Marketing Act, 1931, a scheme or schemes, applicable in England and Wales, for regulating the marketing of fat stock, and, in the course of preparing any scheme as aforesaid, to investigate and report on any matter which appears to them to affect its operation and in particular to investigate and report on the manner in which its operation could be facilitated.

  1. (a) By co-operation between the board administering the scheme, and
    1. (i) any corresponding board in Scotland or Northern Ireland,
    2. (ii) any board that may be constituted in Great Britain or Northern Ireland for regulating the marketing of pigs or of bacon, and
    3. (iii) any organisation concerned with the marketing in the United Kingdom of fat stock or meat produced in the United Kingdom or elsewhere; and
  2. (b) by the regulation of imports of live stock or meat or any products thereof;
  3. (c) by improvement of the facilities for the slaughter of fat stock and for the production of commodities there from; and
  4. (d) by use of the provisions of the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Acts, 1928–31.
As I have already informed the House, the Government has been fortunate in securing the services of Colonel the Right Hon. G. R. Lane Fox, P.C., J.P., D.L., as Chairman of the Commission. The other members are:
  • H. G. Howitt, Esq., D.S.O., M.C., F.C.A.
  • Sir John Buck Lloyd.
  • John Boyd Orr, Esq., D.S.O., M.C., M.A., M.D., D.Sc., F.R.S.
  • The Hon. Jasper Ridley.
In conjunction with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Scotland, arrangements will be made for consultation between the respective chairmen of this commission and of the committee recently vested with the powers and duties of an Agricultural Marketing Reorganisation Commission under the Agricultural Marketing (Fat Stock Scheme) (Scotland) Order, 1932, so far as may be necessary to facilitate the consideration of matters of mutual interest, for which purpose liaison will also be arranged with the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland. The commission is holding its first meeting this afternoon.

Mr. T. WILLIAMS

Does not the right hon. and gallant Gentleman think that one workers' representative thoroughly versed in all questions pertaining to agriculture might have been of use on such a committee?

Major ELLIOT

As the hon. Member knows, it is not desired to have representation of interests but to have jurymen who will come to decisions on the evidence submitted to them. No doubt, there are many representatives of all sections of the community who would be suitable as such jurymen. I have done the best in the circumstances in which I found myself.

Mr. WILLIAMS

Will not the right hon. and gallant Gentleman reconsider the wisdom, from a constructive and positive point of view, of making such a selection as the one indicated? Further, is he not aware that we appreciate his point in avoiding representatives in the sense he suggested?

Sir P. HURD

If sectional interests are to be involved in this way, will it not be an illimitable business?

Major ELLIOT

I deprecate the suggestion that representatives more especially conversant with Labour interests would be sectional representatives. I am sure many Labour representatives could be found who would take an unprejudiced view, but I ask the hon. Member to consider that I have done my best to choose personnel who have served on the previous Commission, with a view to expedition, which is of such great importance.